D&D General Which non-D&D races would you like to see in D&D?

[CreamCloud0]

Gorons, Zoras and Koroks!

if we're picking LoZ species to add i'd at least prefer the deku scrubs over the koroks, their abilities are basically the same but better, also the minish/picori might be interesting to see: a species with inherent size-shifting abilities between small and tiny sizes!

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

if we're picking LoZ species to add i'd at least prefer the deku scrubs over the koroks, their abilities are basically the same but better, also the minish/picori might be interesting to see: a species with inherent size-shifting abilities between small and tiny sizes!

yes to all of them!

Deku scrubs and Picori would be awesome.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Orions, Cardassians, Deltans, Risians, Klingons, Bajorans, Trill, Betaziods, Vorta, Jem'hadar, Suliban, Vulcans/Romulans, Wadi, Talexians, Ocompa, Andorians, Xindi, Synths (like Picard, Soji, Data 3.0), Gorn, Aurelian, Bioborg (from P3 picard).

All the Nymph and Satyr species from Pier Anthony's Xanth.

Magog, Nicheans, Persids, from Andromeda.

 

[Dioltach]

Polymorphs, Rogue Simulants and Psirens from Red Dwarf. (And possibly whatever species Tarka Dal and Bhindi Bhaji of the Vindaloo Empire are supposed to be.)

 

[Bacon Bits]

Honestly, the only thing we've even had to reskin to create was Entkin, and I'm not sure they count for the thread. I think all we did was kind of merge Tortle and Warforged, add Powerful Build, change them to Plant, and make them require water and air.

Overall, we tend to prefer not having SciFi races in Fantasy settings. Otherwise, I might include Wookiee.

That said, these days I'm leaning towards the view that species might be better treated as a purely aesthetic choice and totally divorced from mechanics. Instead, players would be allowed to choose a few traits for their characters, and justify them however they want. So maybe your character has darkvision because they're a dwarf (Bruenor), because she has undergone unique and brutal training (Arya), or because he was mutated using arcane elixirs (Geralt) - it's the same power either way. (And, conversely, maybe your dwarf doesn't have darkvision because they were raised entirely among humans and the ability atrophied.)

I think Custom Lineage would be perfect for the kind of "mutant" that Witchers represent, although Custom Lineage is so very bare bones at the moment that I've only ever seen it used for powergaming so far.

For myself, I've begun thinking that Darkvision should just be magic. It's just a kind of magic that makes sense for some cultures to teach their children, like a Language. It's also hard to argue that it's not magical because it lets you see in a cave with no light and everything one temperature. No matter how narrowly you contrive the situation, except for magical darkness, Darkvision always works. That's not really physically possible, so it must be magic.

That said, I also think that all Darkvision should come with a rider such as Daylight Sensitivity. I don't think it's fair that some races are crippled in the dark, while others just don't have a problem. Even with the limitations that Darkvision has, it's just not really shown itself to be enough of a limitation to discourage people from wandering around in the dark. The choice between having Darkvision or normal vision needs to be an actual choice with an actual cost or benefit.

 

[delericho]

I think Custom Lineage would be perfect for the kind of "mutant" that Witchers represent, although Custom Lineage is so very bare bones at the moment that I've only ever seen it used for powergaming so far.

Sure, that would work. But that was just an example - I don't have any particular burning need to play a Witcher (which you can probably do with a Human Hexblade Warlock and the right choice of powers anyway). Rather, it was "divorce species from mechanics" that I was advocating.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

Humans

 

[jmartkdr2]

I'd love to see campaign settings that have alternative race options. Not so much as new options (the offical options cover a ton of ground) but more "In this setting, the available races are humans and planetouched. We've added fey and shoadow planetouched, who look a lot like elves and shadar-kai respectively."

Also plant people are a gap - the Guild Wars 2 Silvari are a good option lore-wise.

 

[Bacon Bits]

Sure, that would work. But that was just an example - I don't have any particular burning need to play a Witcher (which you can probably do with a Human Hexblade Warlock and the right choice of powers anyway). Rather, it was "divorce species from mechanics" that I was advocating.

Ah, I see what you mean, now. That's what I get for browsing the web before coffee.

 

[delericho]

I'd love to see campaign settings that have alternative race options. Not so much as new options (the offical options cover a ton of ground) but more "In this setting, the available races are humans and planetouched. We've added fey and shoadow planetouched, who look a lot like elves and shadar-kai respectively."

Yeah. Before the changes in Tasha's, that was essentially my position: that settings should ideally support their own set of thematically-appropriate races, and only those races. Which might or might not include any of the PHB options.